Right from the start, Alesis told us they would be releasing a number of updates for their new Fusion synths, the 8HD (88-notes) and 6HD (61-notes). The whole concept behind the Fusion was that it had so many great features right from the start – like four synthesis types (including physical modeling), 24-bit multitrack recorder, 32-track sequencer, and up to a staggering 272 notes of polyphony – but it would also be infinitely upgradeable! Well, true to their word, here’s version 1.10 of the Fusion OS! And it doesn’t just fix a few bugs. There are literally hundreds of new programs, mixes and arpeggiator patterns and all existing programs and mixes have been improved. Here’s a partial list of the new enhancements:
- Added Preset 4 program bank with 128 new programs
- Added a Synth Drum bank with 110 new programs
- Added a new Electronica bank with 128 new programs
- Substantial improvements have been made in Preset Banks 1-3 and the Electronica bank
- Mixes are now divided into two banks: Groove (40 Mixes) and Split-Layer (108 Mixes)
- Added a fully-compatible GM program bank with 128 programs
- Added the ability to easily transpose the keyboard from the program screen
- Dramatic improvements have been made to the arpeggiator
As if that weren’t enough, the company has released the free (yes, free!) Alesis Fusion Converter, a fully functional translation program that allows .WAV, AIFF, SoundFont and Akai libraries to be converted into Fusion samples. Alesis promises more cool features are coming soon!